“Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one sitting.” - Truman Capote
Venezia, built on a lagoon of 100 small islands, has no roads – only canals. Vaporettos, water taxis, and gondolas are your transportation options. But, honestly, my favorite means to get around is on foot. Her maze of bridges, canals, and narrow winding walkways is unique. Becoming lost, while poking around the shops, cafes, and vendors, is a wonderful experience. Around every corner is a new discovery.
Rich in arts and culture, from the celebration of Carnival with medieval masks and costumes to multiple opera venues and museums to the glass-blowing artisans of Murano, Venice has something for all art lovers.
Do you enjoy people watching? The main square, the Piazza San Marcos, is home to those infamous pigeons and a great spot to enjoy a glass of wine while waiting for the bells to chime and betting how many people will allow the pigeons to land on them. Yuck. I enjoy watching this practice, but can’t imagine participating!
Long on history and beautifully designed, the bridges and buildings do not disappoint. The famous Basilica San di Marco and its Campanile, as well as the Doge’s Palace can’t be missed. Take a walk across the Bridge of Sighs. Built to join the palace to the prisons, the bridge was used to move prisoners and was their last glimpse of the city. And stroll across the Rialta Bridge, once the primary means across the Grand Canal, now full of shops and vendors plus one of the best views of Venice.
A gondola ride may be the ultimate tourist bait, but is part of the city’s culture and interwoven with her histroy. The preferred transportation of the old aristocracy, gondolas are now only used by tourists. Don’t request O Solo Mio, if you want a serenade, though. It originated in Naples!
Cichetti is the Venetian version of tapas and a great way to sample the cuisine. And pasta al nero di seppie, spaghetti with the inky-black sauce made with cuttlefish, usually ranks high on foodies to-do lists.
For a day trip or to add on a few days before or after Venice, Bologna and Verona are both convenient. Bolognese sauce, networks of porticos, churches with exquisite decorations, Juliet’s balcony (really!), and picturesque squares and walkways are a few of these cities’ charms.
Some consider Venice a living museum; others believe it to be nothing more than a tourist trap. Regardless your opinion, you have to experience it at least once.
Are you ready to design your perfect Italian vacation? I’d love to help. Call 888-429-1929 or email travel@sevenwondersgrouptravel.com today to schedule a complimentary consultation and we’ll start the planning!